The Bachelor Locky Gilbert’s racist Myspace posts resurface

The Bachelor‘s Locklan ‘Locky’ Gilbert has apologised after his racist Myspace posts from more than a decade ago resurfaced on Thursday.

Gilbert, 31, shared the bigoted content in 2004 when he was a 16-year-old high school student in Perth – but unlike many people from the ‘Myspace generation’ he forgot to delete his old account when he migrated to Facebook.

One shocking post features an outline of Australia with the words ‘F**K OFF WE’RE FULL’, an anti-immigrant and anti-refugee slogan widely considered to be racist.

Apology: The Bachelor ‘s Locklan ‘Locky’ Gilbert (pictured) has apologised after his racist Myspace posts from more than a decade ago resurfaced on Thursday 

Regrettable: Gilbert, 31, shared the bigoted content in 2004 when he was a 16-year-old high school student in Perth - but unlike many people from the 'Myspace generation' he forgot to delete his old account when he migrated to Facebook. Pictured: Gilbert's still-active profile

Regrettable: Gilbert, 31, shared the bigoted content in 2004 when he was a 16-year-old high school student in Perth – but unlike many people from the ‘Myspace generation’ he forgot to delete his old account when he migrated to Facebook. Pictured: Gilbert’s still-active profile

The same meme included the Southern Cross constellation and the words ‘Aussie Pride’. While not intrinsically racist, the Southern Cross and ‘Aussie Pride’ slogan are sometimes associated with right-wing nationalism.

Gilbert apologised for his comments in a statement to Daily Mail Australia on Thursday.

‘I am deeply sorry for the image I posted on MySpace over 14 years ago. I do not hold these views and I apologise for the offence I have caused,’ he said.

Gilbert’s exact ethnic heritage is unknown, but his surname is of English and Germanic origin.

Many of his contestants have European backgrounds, and it remains to be seen what they will make of his questionable social media activity.

Insensitive: One shocking post features an outline of Australia with the words 'F**K OFF WE'RE FULL', an anti-immigrant and anti-refugee slogan widely considered to be racist. The same meme also included the Southern Cross constellation and the words 'Aussie Pride'

Insensitive: One shocking post features an outline of Australia with the words ‘F**K OFF WE’RE FULL’, an anti-immigrant and anti-refugee slogan widely considered to be racist. The same meme also included the Southern Cross constellation and the words ‘Aussie Pride’

Before his Bachelor days: One photo from Gilbert's resurfaced Myspace account shows him with a young woman at a formal

Before his Bachelor days: One photo from Gilbert’s resurfaced Myspace account shows him with a young woman at a formal

Rare look: The abandoned MySpace profile offers a rare glimpse into Gilbert's teenage years as a party boy. He is pictured on the left with a group of friends

Rare look: The abandoned MySpace profile offers a rare glimpse into Gilbert’s teenage years as a party boy. He is pictured on the left with a group of friends

Looks like a fun night! One image shows Gilbert (far right) posing with friends outside Club X, an adult shop chain, while hugging a young woman and lifting her up by the legs

Looks like a fun night! One image shows Gilbert (far right) posing with friends outside Club X, an adult shop chain, while hugging a young woman and lifting her up by the legs

Clowns: Another shows Gilbert goofing around with a group of friends on a train

Clowns: Another shows Gilbert goofing around with a group of friends on a train

For example, bookies’ favourite Irena Srbinovska is of Macedonian descent, and Bella Varelis is Greek.

Areeba Emmanuel is a Pakistani-Australian, while Leilani Vakaahi is of Tongan heritage and Laura Calleri is Italian.

Meanwhile, Gilbert’s abandoned MySpace account offers a rare glimpse into his teenage years as a party boy.

What will they think? Many of his contestants have European backgrounds, and it remains to be seen what they will make of his questionable social media activity. For example, bookies' favourite Irena Srbinovska (pictured) is of Macedonian descent, and Bella Varelis is Greek

What will they think? Many of his contestants have European backgrounds, and it remains to be seen what they will make of his questionable social media activity. For example, bookies' favourite Irena Srbinovska is of Macedonian descent, and Bella Varelis (pictured) is Greek

What will they think? Many of his contestants have European backgrounds, and it remains to be seen what they will make of his questionable social media activity. For example, bookies’ favourite Irena Srbinovska (left) is of Macedonian descent, and Bella Varelis (right) is Greek

One image shows him posing with friends outside Club X, an adult shop chain, while hugging a young woman and lifting her up by the legs.

Another sees Gilbert goofing around with a group of friends on a train. 

It comes three months after MasterChef star Reynold Poernomo found himself in a similar predicament when his homophobic forum posts from 2014 resurfaced.

Poernomo, 26, said that gay people should be ‘captured and put on an island’ and used other homophobic slurs on an online bodybuilding forum.

Slurs: It comes three months after MasterChef star Reynold Poernomo (pictured) found himself in a similar predicament when his homophobic forum posts from 2014 resurfaced

Slurs: It comes three months after MasterChef star Reynold Poernomo (pictured) found himself in a similar predicament when his homophobic forum posts from 2014 resurfaced

Under a thread titled ‘First gay couple featured on the Disney Channel. Do you agree with them?’, Reynold – using the profile name ‘reyreyy’ – offered a shocking response.

‘I wish the world made a united decision where they will capture all gay people and put them on a remote island full of gays, that way straight people will be happy and the freaks can go on and f**k themselves,’ the then 20-year-old wrote.

That comment was followed by another on a thread titled, ‘Is homosexuality a mental illness?’

‘Yes end of thread,’ Reynold responded. 

Regrettable: Poernomo, 26, said that gay people should be 'captured and put on an island' and used other homophobic slurs on an online bodybuilding forum

Regrettable: Poernomo, 26, said that gay people should be ‘captured and put on an island’ and used other homophobic slurs on an online bodybuilding forum 

Reynold later apologised for the comments. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia at the time, he said he was ‘deeply ashamed’ of his remarks.

‘I would like to offer my sincere and deepest apologies for the comments that I made in 2014. I am ashamed of these comments and I regret them immensely,’ he said.

‘At the time these comments were made, I was a very immature, close-minded and insular 20-year-old. I have grown and matured a lot in the last six years. I am not the person I was back then.

‘I have many friends and colleagues that are part of the LGBTIQ+ community. I wholeheartedly support them and care deeply for them. I am truly sorry and apologise for any offence or hurt I caused.’

Bigoted: Under a thread titled 'First gay couple featured on the Disney Channel. Do you agree with them?', Reynold - using the profile name 'reyreyy' - offered this shocking response

Bigoted: Under a thread titled ‘First gay couple featured on the Disney Channel. Do you agree with them?’, Reynold – using the profile name ‘reyreyy’ – offered this shocking response 

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